JP2013106820A - Self-propelled cleaner - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a self-propelled cleaner capable of effectively cleaning the whole area against a wall of a room having a floor on which dust of a carpet or the like cannot be moved easily.SOLUTION: The self-propelled cleaner includes: a body including a drive wheel and moving on a surface to be cleaned with the drive wheel; a dust suction port provided at the lower part of a front end of the main body; and a detection means provided in the body for detecting the position of the body relative to a wall surface. During cleaning operation, when the front end of the body comes near the wall surface, the self-propelled cleaner is configured to stay the body at the same position for a predetermined time while the front end of the body comes near the wall surface.

Description

  The present invention relates to a self-propelled cleaner provided with moving means.

  Conventional self-propelled cleaners are equipped with means to measure the distance between the self-propelled cleaner main body and the wall, and move along the wall with the side of the main body facing the wall when cleaning the wall. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).

  In addition, other conventional self-propelled cleaners include means for measuring the distance between the self-propelled cleaner main body and the wall, an auxiliary brush that rotates substantially horizontally at the end of the main body, and the auxiliary brush on the wall. It moved while abutting (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

  In addition, other conventional self-propelled cleaners have contact sensors on the left and right of the front end of the self-propelled cleaner body, and when one of the left and right contact sensors detects contact with the wall, the other contact sensor The main body was moved so as to go around until it was detected that the contact with (see, for example, Patent Document 3).

JP-A-5-46246 Japanese Patent Publication No. 7-32752 Japanese Patent No. 2744633

The self-propelled cleaner shown in Patent Document 1 moves along the wall in a state where the self-propelled cleaner main body is close to the range where the main body does not contact the wall and the side surface of the main body faces the wall. Dust was sucked from a dust suction port provided in the lower part of the cleaner body.
However, since the dust suction port is separated from the wall, there is a problem that an area where dust cannot be sucked occurs.

Moreover, the self-propelled cleaner shown in Patent Document 2 scrapes dust from the wall toward the dust suction port provided at the lower part of the self-propelled cleaner body by the auxiliary brush and sucks it from the dust suction port.
However, the auxiliary brush that rotates substantially horizontally can remove dust on floors such as flooring that can easily move dust, but cannot easily move dust such as carpets. However, there is a problem that it is difficult to sufficiently scrape and suck dust.

Moreover, the self-propelled cleaner shown in Patent Document 3 moves so that the self-propelled cleaner main body turns around until one of the left and right of the self-propelled cleaner main body contacts the wall and the other contacts the wall. Therefore, when the dust collecting part is provided on the front surface of the self-propelled cleaner body, it is possible to absorb the dust near the wall.
However, since the area that absorbs dust at the wall is limited to the portion where the self-propelled cleaner body contacts the wall, there is a problem that the entire wall near the room cannot be efficiently cleaned.

  This invention solves the said subject, and provides the self-propelled cleaner which can clean efficiently the whole wall near the room which has a floor surface which cannot move dusts, such as a carpet, easily. .

  This invention solves the said subject, and provides the self-propelled cleaner which can clean efficiently the whole wall near the room which has a floor surface which cannot move dusts, such as a carpet, easily. .

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a main body provided with a driving wheel and moved on the surface to be cleaned by the driving wheel, a dust suction port provided at a lower front end of the main body, and a main body with respect to a wall surface provided in the main body In a self-propelled cleaner equipped with detection means for detecting the position of the main body, when the front end of the main body is close to the wall surface during the cleaning operation, the main body is in the same position with the front end of the main body close to the wall surface. The self-propelled cleaner is configured to be held for a predetermined time.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the self-propelled cleaner which can clean efficiently the whole wall near the room which has a floor surface which cannot move dusts, such as a carpet easily, can be obtained.

(A) The top view which shows the structure of the self-propelled cleaner which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention, (b) The bottom view which shows the structure of the self-propelled cleaner which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. (A) Side surface sectional view which shows the structure of the self-propelled cleaner concerning Embodiment 1 of this invention, (b) Operation | movement of the rotating brush in the wall of the self-propelled cleaner concerning Embodiment 1 of this invention. FIG. Explanatory drawing which shows the distance measurement area | region of the distance detection sensor of the self-propelled cleaner which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention, and the outermost periphery of the main body 1 at the time of turning of the main body 1, and the locus | trajectory of the drive wheels 2, 2 '. (1a)-(1c) The top view which shows operation | movement when the self-propelled cleaner which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention cleans the wall side. (1d)-(1f) The top view which shows the operation | movement when the self-propelled cleaner which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention cleans the wall side. Explanatory drawing which shows the transition of the output of a distance detection sensor and a contact sensor when the self-propelled cleaner which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention cleans the wall side. (2a)-(2b) The top view which shows operation | movement when the self-propelled cleaner which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention cleans the corner of a room. (2c)-(2d) The top view which shows operation | movement when the self-propelled cleaner which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention cleans the corner of a room. (2e)-(2f) The top view which shows operation | movement when the self-propelled cleaner which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention cleans the corner of a room. (2g) The top view which shows operation | movement when the self-propelled cleaner which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention cleans the corner of a room. Explanatory drawing which shows the transition of the output of a distance detection sensor and a contact sensor when the self-propelled cleaner which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention cleans the corner of a room. (3a)-(3b) The top view which shows operation | movement when the self-propelled cleaner which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention cleans the corner | angular corner of a room. (3c)-(3d) The top view which shows operation | movement when the self-propelled cleaner which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention cleans the corner of a room. (3e)-(3f) The top view which shows operation | movement when the self-propelled cleaner which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention cleans the corner | angular part of a room. (3g)-(3h) The top view which shows operation | movement when the self-propelled cleaner which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention cleans the corner of a room. Explanatory drawing which shows the transition of the output of a distance detection sensor and a contact sensor when the self-propelled cleaner which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention cleans the corner of a room.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
(Embodiment 1)
1A is a plan view showing the configuration of the self-propelled cleaner according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, FIG. 1B is a bottom view, FIG. 2A is a side sectional view, and FIG. ) Is an explanatory view showing the operation of the rotating brush near the wall.

In the figure, the self-propelled cleaner in the present embodiment includes a pair of drive wheels 2 and 2 ′ that are moving means for moving the main body 1 inside the main body 1 having a rectangular front and a circular rear. The pair of drive wheels 2, 2 ′ are disposed substantially at the center in the front-rear direction of the main body 1, protrude from the bottom surface of the main body 1, are grounded to the floor surface that is the surface to be cleaned, and support the main body 1.
The drive wheels 2 and 2 'are driven by independent motors 3 and 3', respectively, and rotate and stop according to control signals from a control unit (not shown) built in the main body 1. The driven wheel 4 supports the rear bottom surface of the main body 1 while changing its direction freely in the direction of 360 degrees corresponding to the movement and direction change of the main body 1.
The control unit controls various electrical components provided in the main body 1 with a predetermined program based on an input operation to an operation unit (not shown) and inputs from various detection means described later.

A suction port body 5 is installed in front of the main body 1 so as to be able to rotate up and down. The suction port body 5 is provided with a dust suction port 6 (hereinafter referred to as a suction port 6) that is an opening for sucking dust from the bottom surface to the front lower portion, and includes a rotating brush 7 inside the suction port 6.
The rotary brush 7 is provided with bristle brushes 8 in which a plurality of rows of hairs are implanted in the form of a wave around the shaft, and both ends are pivotally supported, and are driven to rotate by a drive motor (not shown) via a connecting belt (not shown). .
Further, the drive motor of the rotary brush 7 is rotated, stopped, and changed in the number of rotations according to a control signal from the control unit. Thereby, the rotation speed of the rotating brush 7 can be changed.

As the rotating brush 7 rotates, the bristle brush 8 contacts the floor surface, and the dust on the floor surface is scraped up from the front to the rear. The dust scraped up by the rotating brush 7 is guided to the air passage 10 communicating with the inside of the main body 1 by the dust receiving portion 9 provided behind the suction port 6.
The dust receiving portion 9 is formed with a soft material such as rubber or a flocked end, and is configured so as not to be damaged or to be damaged on the floor surface side even when it comes into contact with the convex portion of the floor surface.

A dust collection unit 11 is installed behind the air passage 10 inside the main body 1 so as to be removable from the main body. In addition, a blower fan 12 that generates a negative pressure is provided behind the dust collection unit 11, and sucks air through a suction port 6 and a duct 13 that communicates with the dust collection unit 11.
Then, the dust that has been scraped from the floor surface together with the sucked air enters the dust collecting unit 11 through the suction port 6, and the dust is removed by the filter 14 provided at the connection part of the dust collecting unit 11 and the duct 13. After being removed, only clean air is sucked by the blower fan 12 and discharged from the exhaust port 15.
Note that the blower fan 12 adjusts the air volume by rotating, stopping, and changing the number of rotations according to the control signal from the control unit, and the suction force at the suction port 6 is adjusted.

The rotating brush 7 is installed in the suction port body 5 so that the bristle brush 8 protrudes in front of the suction port 6, and when the front end of the suction port body 5 comes into contact with the wall, as shown in FIG. Then, the bristle brush 8 reaches the wall and scrapes up the dust.
Therefore, when the main body 1 is moved so as to press the suction port body 5 against the wall, dust near the wall can be collected.

The front end of the suction port body 5 includes a pair of left and right contact sensors 16 and 17 that detect contact with a wall surface and transmit a signal to a control unit (not shown).
In addition, a first distance measurement sensor 18, a second distance measurement sensor 19, and a third distance measurement sensor 20 that perform distance measurement by transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves are provided above the suction port body 5.

The first distance measuring sensor 18 measures a region extending from the left side of the main body 1 to the front, the second distance measuring sensor 19 measures a region in front of the main body 1, and the third distance measuring sensor 20 is measured on the main body 1. A region extending from the right side to the front is measured, and distance measurement information between the wall or obstacle and the main body 1 is transmitted to a control unit (not shown).
As described above, the control unit recognizes the positional relationship of the main body with respect to the wall and the obstacle based on information from the distance measurement sensor and the contact sensor. That is, the distance measurement sensor and the contact sensor are detection means for detecting the positional relationship of the main body with respect to the wall and the obstacle.

In the present embodiment, the second distance measuring sensor 19 is disposed at the approximate center of the left and right of the main body, and transmits an ultrasonic wave toward the front of the main body. Measure the distance between the body and the wall or obstacle located in
The first distance measurement sensor 18 is disposed on the left side of the main body, and transmits an ultrasonic wave toward the left front side of the main body, so that the wall located in the region extending from the left side to the front side of the main body as described above. And measure the distance between the obstacle and the main body.
In addition, the third distance measuring sensor 20 is disposed on the right side of the main body and transmits an ultrasonic wave toward the right front side of the main body, so that the wall located in the region extending from the right side to the front of the main body as described above. And measure the distance between the obstacle and the main body.
The first distance measurement sensor 18 and the third distance measurement sensor 20 are provided in the main body so as to be symmetrical with respect to the second distance measurement sensor 19.

The left and right end portions of the bottom surface of the suction port body 5 are provided with a light emitting portion that irradiates light toward the floor surface and a light receiving portion that reflects light on the floor surface. A pair of level difference sensors 21 and 21 ′ for detecting the height is provided.
The left and right side surfaces of the main body 1 are provided with a light emitting unit that irradiates light toward the rear side surface, and a light receiving unit that reflects light by an adjacent wall or obstacle, depending on the intensity of light detected by the light receiving unit, Proximity sensors 22 and 22 ′ for detecting the distance between the wall or obstacle and the main body 1 are provided.

3 shows the distance measurement areas of the first to third distance detection sensors of the self-propelled cleaner according to the present embodiment, and the outermost periphery of the main body 1 and the driving wheels 2 and 2 ′ when the main body 1 is turned. It is explanatory drawing which shows a locus | trajectory. 4 (1a) to (1c) and FIGS. 5 (1d) to (1f) are plan views showing the operation when the main body 1 cleans the wall. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing transition of outputs of the distance detection sensor and the contact sensor when the main body 1 cleans the wall.
Note that (1a) to (1f) shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 show a series of movements from (1a) to (1f). Further, (1a) to (1f) in FIG. 6 correspond to the states (1a) to (1f) in FIGS. 4 and 5.

  In the figure, a point O is an intermediate point between the drive wheels 2 and 2 ', and is a turning center of the main body 1 when performing a true turn that drives the drive wheels 2 and 2' in the opposite directions at the same rotational speed. . D1 is a circular locus of the drive wheels 2 and 2 ′ when the main body 1 makes a true turn. A is a distance from the turning center O to the front side surface angle that is the farthest end of the main body 1, and D2 is a circumscribed circle of a radius A drawn by the end of the main body 1 when the main body 1 turns true. The shaded portion represents a wall.

  The region S1, the region S2, and the region S3 are distance measurement regions in a range of about 30 cm in front of the first distance measurement sensor 18, the second distance measurement sensor 19, and the third distance measurement sensor 20, and an angle of about 50 °, respectively. Show. When the main body 1 comes close to a wall or an obstacle, and the wall or the obstacle approaches these distance measurement areas, the distance measurement sensors that have approached each transmit distance measurement information to a control unit (not shown).

Next, the operation on the cleaning surface when the main body 1 cleans the wall will be described with reference to FIGS.
For example, as shown in FIG. 4 (1a), when the main body 1 is close to the wall from the left oblique direction, the output of the first distance measuring sensor 18 is separated by 30 cm or more during the time point 1a shown in FIG. Gradually increases from a LOW level (hereinafter referred to as L level) indicating proximity to a HIGH level (hereinafter referred to as H level) indicating proximity, and after that, the output of the second distance measuring sensor 19 is delayed. Start increasing.

During this time, since the output of the third distance measuring sensor 20 does not increase from the L level, the control unit recognizes that the region S1 is closer to the wall than the region S2, and that there is no wall in the region S3.
Further, the time difference between the output start time of the output of the first distance measurement sensor 18 and the output start time of the output of the second distance measurement sensor 19, the increase speed of the output of the first distance measurement sensor 18, and the second The proximity angle to the wall of the main body 1 can be calculated using the difference in the increase speed of the output of the distance measuring sensor 19.

The control unit monitors the output of the first distance measuring sensor 18 that is closest to the wall, and as shown in FIG. 3A, the control unit immediately before the circumscribed circle D2 of the main body 1 reaches the wall. The drive wheels 2, 2 ′ are stopped.
Next, as shown in FIG. 4 (1 b), the left driving wheel 2 is rotated backward and the right driving wheel 2 ′ is rotated forward at the same rotational speed, so that the main body 1 is turned around the turning center O. Turn the ground clockwise. Here, the broken line of the shape of the main body 1 shown in FIG. 4 (1b) indicates the state before the main body 1, and is similarly described in the subsequent drawings.

  When the main body 1 turns true, the left front corner of the main body 1 turns away from the wall after the closest approach to the wall. As shown in FIG. 8, the control unit recognizes the positional relationship between the main body 1 and the wall by monitoring that the output of the first distance measurement sensor 18 is maximized during the period from the time point a to the time point b. Can do. Then, at the time point b when the output of the second distance measurement sensor 19 becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the control unit stops the drive wheels 2 and 2 ′ and stops the main body 1 from turning on the ground.

Next, as shown in FIG. 4 (1c), the control unit outputs the first distance measurement sensor 18 and the second distance measurement sensor 19 so that the entire front end of the main body 1 is in contact with the wall at the same time. , The rotation of the drive wheels 2, 2 ′ is controlled.
That is, by keeping the left driving wheel 2 stopped from the position of the main body 1 shown in FIG. 4 (1b), or by rotating the right driving wheel 2 ′ forward while slightly rotating forward, The front end of the main body 1 is brought into contact with the wall.

When the entire front end of the main body 1 comes into contact with the wall, both the left and right contact sensors 17 and 18 provided at the front end of the suction port body 5 detect contact and output an H level signal to the control unit.
That is, both the left and right contact sensors 17 and 18 come into contact with the wall surface, and the control unit recognizes a state in which the entire front end of the main body 1 is in contact with the wall when the control unit detects an H level output. In addition, since the signal output to the control unit when any of the left and right contact sensors comes into contact with the wall surface does not become the H level, the control unit recognizes that the entire front end of the main body 1 is not in contact with the wall. .

  During the cleaning operation, the main body 1 drives only the blower fan 12 or the blower fan 12 and the rotating brush 7 at the same time, and sucks and collects dust on the floor surface of the moving range of the main body 1 from the suction port 6. Collect in the dust part 11. As shown in FIG. 4 (1c), when the front end of the suction port body 5 comes close to the wall (including the state where the front end of the main body 1 is in contact with the wall), the bristle brush 8 of the rotating brush 7 reaches the wall. Scrape out dust.

At this time, as shown in FIG. 6, the position of the main body 1 is not moved for a predetermined time at the time point 1c, that is, by providing a stop period t that remains at the same position, the dust collecting effect at the wall is improved. Can be made.
During the stop period t, the driving wheel is stopped to stop the movement of the main body 1 on the cleaning surface, or the driving wheel is operated so that the main body 1 presses against the wall, that is, the main body 1 faces the wall. It is better to operate the drive wheels so that they move.
By pressing the main body 1 against the wall, the bristle brush 8 of the rotating brush 7 can more easily reach the wall.

Further, during the stop period t, the air volume of the blower fan 12 is increased or the rotational speed of the rotary brush 7 is increased from the state when the main body 1 has moved to the vicinity of the wall.
This increases the air volume of the blower fan and the rotational speed of the rotating brush in the vicinity of the wall where dust is likely to accumulate, so that it is possible to further improve the collection effect at the portion to be cleaned, where dust is likely to accumulate. Since the output of electrical parts is increased only at locations where there is a lot of energy, an energy saving effect can be expected.

Here, the stop period t, which is the time for the main body 1 to stay at the wall, is set to a time during which dust at the wall can be collected, and is about 1 to 3 seconds.
Further, the stop time t may be variable according to the situation of the part to be cleaned. For example, after removing dust at a position where the main body 1 stays to a predetermined amount or less, the main body 1 is controlled to move. In this case, a dust detection sensor is provided in the air passage 10 of the main body 1, and when this sensor does not detect the passage of dust or when the detection amount becomes a predetermined level or less, the control unit remains in the main body 1. Judge that the dust at the location has been removed.
As an example of the dust detection sensor, a light emitting unit disposed oppositely and a light receiving unit that receives light from the light emitting unit, and when dust passes between the light axis of the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit to block light. There is one in which the control unit detects the presence or absence of the passage of dust by the change in the light amount of the light receiving unit.

Next, as shown in FIG. 4 (1 c), the control unit cleans the wall near the front end of the main body 1, and then faces the wall on the right side, that is, the wall on the right side in the surface direction of the abutted wall. The main body 1 is moved to the position. First, as shown in FIG. 5 (1d), the main body 1 is moved backward while being turned to the right rear side, and further turned to the left rear side.
Then, as shown in FIG. 6, the drive wheels 2 and 2 ′ are stopped at the time point 1 d when the main body 1 moves backward by a predetermined distance from the wall. During this time, the control unit makes the right and left turn the same so that the front of the main body 1 faces the wall in parallel.
At this time, the control unit sets the movement amount of the main body 1 in the right direction from the position of FIG. Thereby, since the suction inlet 6 passes over a to-be-cleaned surface uniformly, the remainder of dust can be decreased.

Next, as shown in FIG. 5 (1e), the control unit advances the main body 1 while turning the front right side, and further advances the main body 1 while turning the front left side as shown in FIG. 5 (1f). .
The control unit monitors the first distance measurement sensor 18 and the second distance measurement sensor 19 during the period from the time point 1d to the time point 1e shown in FIG. 6, and determines the timing for turning the main body 1 to turn to the front left side. .

Then, after starting to turn left frontward at time point 1e, the output of the first distance measurement sensor 18 and the output of the second distance measurement sensor 19 so that the entire front end of the main body 1 simultaneously contacts the wall again. , The rotation of the drive wheels 2, 2 ′ is controlled.
Then, as shown in FIG. 5 (1 f), the front end of the suction port body 5 is brought into contact with the wall. At this time, the control unit operates the main body 1 so that the movement amount in the right direction from the position of FIG. 5 (1 d) is equal to ½ of the lateral width of the suction port 6 or slightly shorter.
That is, the amount of movement along the wall of the main body 1 from the position of the main body 1 shown in FIG. 4 (1c) to the position of the main body 1 shown in FIG. Short distance.

  By repeating the operations from FIG. 4 (1c) to FIG. 5 (1d) along the wall, it is possible to collect the dust at the wall without leaving it. Moreover, since the suction inlet 6 does not pass the same location on the wall side, the wall side can be efficiently cleaned.

Next, the operation when the main body 1 reaches the corner of the room while moving along the wall will be described. (2a) to (2g) shown in FIGS. 7 to 10 are plan views showing an operation when the main body 1 cleans the corner of the room, and FIG. 11 shows a distance detection sensor when the main body 1 cleans the corner of the room. It is explanatory drawing which shows the transition of the output of a contact sensor. The shaded portion represents a wall.
In addition, (2a)-(2g) shown in FIGS. 7-10 has shown a series of movement toward (2g) from (2a). Further, (2a) to (2g) in FIG. 11 correspond to the states (2a) to (2g) in FIGS.

7 (2a) is a state where the main body 1 has moved along the wall in the right direction of the drawing while cleaning the edge of the wall, similar to the state of FIG. 5 (1d). After the main body 1 has cleaned the front wall edge, It is in a state where it turns backward while turning to the right rear side, and further turns and stops to the left rear side so that the front of the main body 1 faces the front wall in parallel.
At this time, as shown in FIG. 11, the outputs of the first distance measurement sensor 18 and the second distance measurement sensor 19 at the time point 2a are reduced to the L level, but the output of the second distance measurement sensor 20 is the L level. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4 (1a), the control unit recognizes that there is a wall on the right side of the main body 1 and a corner formed by the front wall.

When recognizing that the right side of the main body 1 has reached the corner of the room, the control unit executes a processing mode corresponding to the right wall. As shown in FIG. 7 (2b), the main body 1 is turned to the right side while leaving a predetermined distance from the right wall.
Next, as shown in FIG. 6 (2 c), the main body 1 is advanced until the front end of the main body 1 comes into contact with the front wall while being brought close to the right front corner so as not to contact the right wall. When the entire front end of the main body 1 comes into contact with the front wall, both the left and right contact sensors 17 and 18 provided at the front end of the suction port body 5 detect contact.

  After providing the stop period t during which the position of the main body 1 is not moved from the time point 2c in FIG. 11, the control unit moves the main body 1 backward along the right wall as shown in FIG. 8 (2d). Then, as shown in FIG. 9 (2e), the main body 1 is turned leftward and forward until the right end of the main body 1 is turned sideways along the front wall. Then, as shown in FIG. 9 (2f), after turning 180 ° counterclockwise, the head 1 is moved straight to the right as shown in FIG. 10 (2g), and the front end of the main body 1 is moved to the right wall. Advance until it touches.

  Thereafter, the operation of further moving the main body 1 along the right wall is the same as the operation from FIG. 4 (1c) to FIG. 5 (1f).

  As described above, when the main body 1 reaches the corner of the room, the front end of the main body 1 is brought into contact with both of the two walls facing the corner, so that the dust at the corner of the room is left behind. It is possible to collect without.

Next, with reference to FIGS. 12-16, the operation | movement in case the main body 1 cleans the corner of a room is demonstrated. In addition, (3a)-(3h) shown in FIGS. 12-15 shows a series of movements of the main body 1. FIG. Also, (3a) to (3h) shown in FIG. 16 correspond to the states (3a) to (3h) shown in FIGS. The shaded portion represents a wall.
For example, as shown in FIG. 12 (3a), when the main body 1 is close to the wall near the corner of the room from the left oblique direction, the output of the first distance measuring sensor 18 is reached during the time point 3a shown in FIG. However, it gradually increases from the L level indicating that they are separated by 30 cm or more toward the H level indicating proximity.
At this time, since the output of the second distance measuring sensor 19 remains at the L level, the control unit recognizes whether the approach angle to the wall is small or the corner of the room exists. To do.

The control unit monitors the output of the first distance measuring sensor 18 and stops the drive wheels 2 and 2 ′ at a position immediately before the circumscribed circle D2 of the main body 1 hits the wall as shown in FIG. 12 (3a). To do.
Next, as shown in FIG. 12 (3 b), the left driving wheel 2 is rotated backward and the right driving wheel 2 ′ is rotated forward at the same rotational speed, and the main body 1 is turned counterclockwise. . When the main body 1 turns true, the left front corner of the main body 1 turns away from the wall after the closest approach to the wall. As shown in FIG. 16, the controller recognizes the positional relationship between the main body 1 and the wall by monitoring that the output of the first distance measuring sensor 18 becomes maximum during the period from the time point 3a to the time point 3b. Can do.
And at the time 3b when the output of the 2nd distance measurement sensor 19 became more than predetermined value, a control part stops drive wheels 2 and 2 ', and stops true cornering of main part 1.

Next, as shown in FIG. 13 (3 c), the control unit outputs the first distance measurement sensor 18 and the second distance measurement sensor 19 so that the entire front end of the main body 1 simultaneously contacts the wall. , The rotation of the drive wheels 2, 2 ′ is controlled.
That is, the front end of the main body 1 is brought into contact with the wall by keeping the left driving wheel 2 stopped or rotating the right driving wheel 2 ′ forward while slightly rotating the front driving wheel 2 ′. At this time, both the left and right contact sensors 17 and 18 provided at the front end of the suction port body 5 detect contact and output an H level at a time point 3c as shown in FIG. 16, but the third distance measurement The output of the sensor 20 remains at the L level.
From this state, the control unit recognizes that the corner of the room is located between the center of the front end of the main body 1 and the right end.

When recognizing that the right side of the main body 1 has reached the corner of the room, the control unit executes a processing mode corresponding to the two walls facing the corner of the room after the stop period t. As shown in FIG. 13 (3d), the main body 1 is moved backward while being turned to the rear right side, and further turned to the left rear side. Then, as shown in FIG. 16, the drive wheels 2, 2 ′ are stopped at the time 3 d when the main body 1 is located at a predetermined distance from the wall.
During this time, the control unit makes the right and left turning amounts the same so that the front of the main body 1 faces the front wall in parallel. At this time, the control unit makes the amount of movement of the main body 1 in the right direction from the position of FIG.

  Next, while operating the main body 1 from the state of FIG. 13 (3d) to the state of FIG. 14 (3e), the control unit monitors the output of the first distance measuring sensor 18 and rotates the main body 1 clockwise. Turn the ground. That is, a true ground turn is started from the time point 3d shown in FIG. 16, and after the output of the first distance measurement sensor 18 increases and reaches a local maximum, the real ground turn is stopped at the time point 3e that becomes the L level. . With this control, the traveling direction of the main body 1 can be set to an appropriate direction that is not too close to the corner of the room and is not too far away.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 14 (3f), the control unit turns the main body 1 to the left and forward with a predetermined radius suitable for going around the corner of the room. Then, the main body 1 comes close to the right wall with respect to the right angle with respect to the front wall, and the drive wheels 2, 2 'are stopped at a position immediately before the circumscribed circle D2 of the main body 1 reaches the right wall. Then, as shown in FIG. 15 (3g), the main body 1 is swiveled counterclockwise and then turned left as shown in FIG. 15 (3h) so that the front end of the main body 1 touches the right wall. Make contact.

  The control unit confirms that the left end of the main body 1 is located outside the corner of the room by changing the output of the first distance measurement sensor 18 to the L level from the time point 3g to the time point 3h shown in FIG. In addition, since both outputs of the contact sensors 16 and 17 become H level at time 3h, it is recognized that the corner of the room is located between the center of the front end of the main body 1 and the left end.

  Thereafter, the operation of further moving the main body 1 along the right wall is the same as the operation from FIG. 4 (1c) to FIG. 5 (1f).

  As described above, when the main body 1 reaches the corner of the room, the front end of the main body 1 is brought into contact with both of the two walls facing the corner, so that the dust at the corner of the room is left behind. It is possible to collect without.

  The step sensors 21 and 21 'provided at the left and right end portions of the bottom surface of the suction port body 5 are provided to prevent the main body 1 from falling from the edge of the corridor during the movement of the main body 1, and detect the step. To transmit information to the control unit. In response to this, the control unit turns the main body 1 to move in a direction without a step.

  Proximity sensors 22 and 22 ′ provided on the left and right side surfaces of the main body 1 are provided for detecting the presence of an obstacle in the path behind the main body 1 when the main body 1 is retracted. The obstacle is detected during the backward movement of the main body 1, and information is transmitted to the control unit. In response to this, the control unit stops the backward movement of the main body 1 and changes the course.

Further, when the main body 1 moves laterally along the wall while repeating the front-rear motion, if the distance between the front and rear motions cannot be secured sufficiently, it reaches the narrow cleaned area where the two opposing walls are close to each other. By detecting the sensors 22 and 22 ′, it is recognized that the main body 1 is located in a narrow cleaning region, and the operation mode is shifted to move along the left or right end of the main body 1 along the wall.
In addition, even when a plurality of distance measurement sensors recognize that the region is to be cleaned in advance, cleaning is performed in an operation mode in which either the left or right end of the main body 1 is moved along the wall.

  A storage battery (not shown) is installed in the main body 1 to supply power for operating the control unit, the drive unit, the blower fan, the sensor, and the like. Further, a storage battery charging circuit (not shown) is provided inside the main body 1, and the storage battery is charged from an external power source via a connection terminal (not shown).

As described above, the self-propelled cleaner in the present embodiment includes the rotary brush 7 at the front end of the main body 1 and is installed in the suction port body 5 so that the bristle brush 8 protrudes in front of the suction port 6. Therefore, the bristle brush 8 reaches the wall and scrapes up the dust.
Therefore, it is possible to collect the dust even on the wall of the floor surface where the dust such as a carpet cannot easily move.

  Further, since the front end of the main body 1 is brought into contact with the wall and moved along the wall, dust on the wall can be collected without being left behind. Also, dust at the corners and corners of the room can be collected without leaving behind.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Main body, 2 Drive wheel, 2 'drive wheel, 3 Motor, 4 Driven wheel, 5 Suction port body, 6 Suction port, 7 Rotating brush, 8 Bristle brush, 9 Dust receiving part, 10 Air path, 11 Dust collection part, 12 blower fan, 13 duct, 14 filter, 15 exhaust port, 16 contact sensor, 17 contact sensor, 18 first distance measurement sensor, 19 second distance measurement sensor, 20 third distance measurement sensor, 21 step sensor, 21 'Step sensor, 22 Proximity sensor, 22' Proximity sensor, O Turning center, D1 Circle of drive wheel 2, 2 ', A Distance from turning center O to the farthest end of main body 1, D2 circumscribed circle of main body 1 , S1 distance measurement area, S2 distance measurement area, S3 distance measurement area, t stop period.

Claims (7)

A drive wheel, and a main body that moves on the surface to be cleaned by the drive wheel;
A dust inlet provided in the lower front end of the main body;
Detection means for detecting the position of the main body relative to the wall surface provided in the main body;
In the self-propelled vacuum cleaner with
A self-propelled cleaner, wherein when the front end of the main body is close to the wall surface during the cleaning operation, the main body is held at the same position for a predetermined time while the front end of the main body is close to the wall surface.   The self-propelled cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the front end of the main body is pressed against the wall surface when the main body is held at the same position for a predetermined time. A rotating brush is rotatably supported inside the dust suction port,
When the front end of the main body is close to the wall surface and the main body stays at the same position for a predetermined time, the suction air volume from the dust suction port is increased or the rotation speed of the rotary brush is increased. The self-propelled cleaner according to claim 1 or 2, wherein both are performed.   The operation of keeping the main body at the same position for a predetermined time while the front end of the main body is close to the wall surface is repeated by moving a predetermined distance in the surface direction of the wall surface. The self-propelled vacuum cleaner described.   The self-propelled cleaner according to claim 4, wherein the predetermined moving distance is a size that does not exceed a width of the dust suction port.   The detection means includes a contact sensor provided at a front end of the main body, and detects that the contact sensor has contacted a wall surface to detect that the front end of the main body is close to the wall surface. The self-propelled vacuum cleaner according to 1 to 5. The detection means includes three or more distance detection sensors,
By comparing the detection values of the distance detection sensors, the corner or corner of the area to be cleaned constituted by the wall is detected, and corner movement control corresponding to the corner or corner movement control corresponding to the corner is performed. The self-propelled cleaner according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

Images